Knockdown sampling dipper for ladling dairy products



H. S. SPENCER Feb. 9, 1954 KNOCKDOWN SAMPLING DIPPER FOR LADLING DAIRY PRODUCTS Filed Jun 5, 1950 ZIC fi 5. ZLVENTORI} Han-040$ SPF/were O f q Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Y KNOCKD OWN SAMPLING DIPPER FOR LADLING DAIRY PRODUCTS Harold S. Spencer, Homer, N. Y. Application June 5, 1950; Serial N 0. 166,143 3 Claims. (01. 73-4254) This invention relates to a refined, inherently simple milk sampling or extractor device of the knockdown type adapted to establish the butterfat content in such tested milk supply and thereby arrive at an equitable sales price for plural cans of product as delivered to a milk station by a dairyman. It will be evident that a dipper of this kind must be kept scrupulously sanitary against all bacterial contamination to adequately serve its purpose.

It is preferred to resort to a demountable reciprocable bowl component that may generally conform to a tubular frustrum of an ellipsoid having a smooth, interiorly wipable bore or channel of which the operatively erected upper end region terminates in a flared open mouth and the other bore end is diametrically contracted into a bottom port of which the cleared bore surface is smoothly finished'to be hygenically wiped while the dipper is disassembled. When operatively reassembled, such vertically slidable bowl is made to driplessly entrap a milk sample within said bowl by the use of a suitable control valve.

My unitary dipper or ladle is preferably fabricated from solid stainless steel or the like noncorrosive material and its bowl provided with an upturned circular mouth having a controlled bottom port co-axially aligned therewith. The

interior of such cup body is purposely kept smoothly convergent toward its port end without need of internal cross bars or the like interference likely to lead to pollution, this is to say my casing bore may readily be cleared of all obstructions.

Said cup port is closable by a valve arranged to be welded or otherwise positively afiixed to the lower end of a slender reciprocative stem that extends coaxially through my cup bottom port and which valve exteriorly closes on a ground seat. The upper end of my single centralized stem may be provided with a manipulative hooklike grip or the like manipulative appendage. Interspaced' from the level of said seat is a socketed guideway that may claspingly engage the exterior surface of my cup at its mouth region and normally serves to retain the valve stem in proper registry with the valve seat.

A stop shoulder aflixed on said stem limits'valve travel and the cup vbody is adequately weighted to automatically close said valve after the cup has entrapped a desired test sample. The assembly of my cup is such that its removable stem with its valve may readily be dismantled into separate dipper components to thoroughly cleanse each such component individually, a

feature that is deemed a prerequisite for present extractor purposes. p

The object of my improvements is to perfect a compact sampling dipper of the indicated sanitary character that shall be rendered capable of admirably meeting such exacting needs in a simple and acceptably fast manner by the use of a depending stem element retained in centralized registry with the cup axis and having a swaged valve head integrally afiixed to the upset lower stem end region to exteriorly engage my valve seat, said stem and associated cup components being independently demountable and arranged to adequately meet all cleans ing needs required for such type of dipper.

Reference is had to the accompanying one sheet of drawings as a preferred exemplification, and in which drawings! Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of m erected dipper assembly ready for use. f

Fig. 2 collectively reveals an exploded view of my dipper device showing its separate components disassembled for independent cleansing.

Fig. 3 reveals an enlarged cross-sectional view through an assembled dipper cup as used in association with a test bottle for collecting therein a plurality of test samples as taken from different milk cans, and

Fig. 4 shows a top view of a tripod type of stem guide or demountable clasp as seen from line 44. I

Referring more specifically to these disclosures, such dipper orcup body [0 having a liquid capacity of somewhat less than one ounce, may comprise an interiorly smoothly finished tubular frusto-conical cup bore H or the equivalent dished contour whose converging end is apertured at 12 to constitute aground valve seat l3. The divergent bore region of such cup or bowl may terminate ina conical open mouth J4.

A flared self-centering valve head I5 is preferably swaged integral with an upset long depending single valve stem portion I 6 as indicated in Fig. 3, while the opposed upper stem end may be given a hook-shaped grip as at H by which to hold said lower stem portion erect and allow the' valve to manipulatively reciprocatewhen in use in maintained coaxial alignment with" the H bottom port. The upturned mouth region of said bowl may be provided with an exteriorly disposed endless groove l8. Interposed between said groove and the stem afiixed shoulder or collar I9 is a snap mounted tripod type of clasp having a longitudinally slotted pilot hub 20 that when in place, serves to centrally guidethe 3 slender stem region coaxially through my erected dipper cup (see Figs. 3 and 4).

Saidclasp may comprise resilient prongs or spokes such as MA, MB and 21C of spring wire extending radially from the stem axis as shown. The outer tip of each spoke may respectively be interlockingly snapped into registry with the groove is so ts to snugly embrace said stem as a demountable guideway serving to stabilize said stem against lateral tilt. While being bodily removed, the manipulative hook end or the like crooked rod grip of said slender valve rod may in either direction be unobstructedly assed through the inner seat I3 which latter is purposely kept larger in diameter than the stem shoulder or alent stop collar 19 so as to enter therethrough. Normally, the reciprocative vertical travel of the cup body It is intended to be limited between its solid and dotted position (see Fig. 3). In the last named position, the valve head l5 would assume its opened position andallow a quota of test milk to freely enter the bowl interior when skimmed from a tested milk can.

My cup is properly weighted tobe self-sealing against valve leakage or drip. When the extended stem hook is manipulatively raised, this seats the valve and allows such trapped charge of'milk to be transported and emptied into the upstanding test bottle 22. The bottom of my cup body H! maybe shaped to nest into the neck or on the lip of such bottle. By depressing the stem grip l l" manually while resting upon said neck, a charge of test milk-from diiierent cans may be successively accumulated in a single bottle for determining a meanbutteriat content and its market price differential over a certain base. In use, my assembled dipper-may be conveniently manipulated when held upright bythe looped stem grip I7 and the cup immersed into the liquid being sampled. When the dipper is-liited, such cup engages the valve head E5 to seal and hold the tested liquid as in container fashion. When operative, my valve rod is laterally guided adjacent each of its ends to insure a sanitary. drip less valve closure. Recessed vent ports suchas 23' may be exteriorly sunk about-the cup perimeter to allow for air escape from the bottle-while being filled. Thereupon, a release ofthe. grip l7 opens the control valve to allow the liquid to intermittently flow around the valve-for collective delivery into the test bottle 22-. Frequent dismantling of the several compo-- nents of my sampling dipperena-bles eachsuch; constituent to be wiped clean, particularlyv the smooth faced bowl bore and-valve head-elements which are wholly kept devoid-of cut threads or. other crevices in which to lodge bacteriaor. the like defilement.

It is believed the foregoing explicit structural disclosure over prior practice,.will. make evident to others skilled in this. art, the. more outstanding advantages afforded by my novel sampling dipper, and I reserve the right, to equivalently. modify such illustrative features, all without departing from the spirit-and scopeoi my invention heretofore described and more particularly characterized in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sanitary knockdown milk sampling dipdiameter of the conical valve the equivper having its bowl mouth disposed upwardly and comprising a tubular casing body providing for an interiorly smooth cup shape whose bottom is apertured to constitute a ported valve seat, an exteriorly disposed valve that sealingly engages said seat and is provided with a stem extending upwardly through said aperture and beyond the bowl mouth confines, a stop collar amxed to said stem contiguous to the bowl mouth level, said collar being smaller indiametral size than said seat and rendered downwardly withdrawable therethrough as a unit with said stem, and'a bodily demountable snap clasp embracing the casing; exterior in guiding relationship with the valve stem and engageable with said collar to limit travel of said valve away from said seat, and which clasp when demounted permits of separably and independently cleansing each dipper component.

2. A knockdown milk sampling dipper having its bowl mouth disposed upwardly and comprising; a tubular casing body providing for an interiorly smooth cup shape whose bottomis &pl tured to constitute a ported valveseat, an exteriorly disposed valve that sealingly engages saidseat and is provided with a stem extending upwardly through said aperture and beyond the: bowl mouth confines, astop collar aihxed to said stem contiguous to the bowl mouth-level, said collar being smaller in diametral sizethan said seat and rendered downwardly withdrawable therethrough as a unit with said stem, and a bodily demountable snap clasp embracing the casingv exterior in guiding relationship with the valvestem and engageable'with said collar to limit travel of the valve away from said seat, said stem being extended upwardly beyond said mouth confines to terminate in a manipulative appendage also: adapted to be withdrawn clownwardly through such valve seat.

3. A knockdown sanitary milk sampling. dip= per having its bowl mouth disposed upwardly and. comprising a: tubular bowl casing whose bottom is ported to constitute a circular? valve. seat,. an exteriorly disposed valve that sealingly engages said seat and which valve is provided with a stem extending. upwardly through said port, ab'odily demountable snap clasp. yieldingly embracing the; casing exterior: and when-in-pla'ce' serving to guidingly retain the stem in substantial coaxiall alignment withthe valve seat,.andstop means: mounted on the rod and engageable with said snap,c1asp for limiting the valve travel away-from said seat,. said stem' together with the stop means being bodily \vithdrawable downwardly through the valve seat whereby to separably dismantle such dipper assembly'into com:-- ponent partsr HAROLD S. SPENCER,

Referencesv Cited in the file: ofvthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date-- 1,664,266 Del Rio "Mar. 27,. 1928: 1,777,277 Lednum; Sept.- 30, 1930' 1,857,537 Erankl- May 10, 1932. 1,942,282 Green .Jan. 2 1934 2,345,470 Edwards Mar. 28, 1944 

